Search This Blog

#LightTheWorld

1940 Census: Not Here Yet, But You Can Practice (and Maybe Win!)

I've mentioned Family Search Indexing before, and just how cool it is to connect with history by helping to preserve the records which give us a glimpse of the lives of individuals.

Maybe you've considered getting involved, but are still a little unsure. I was, at first. I worried that I would somehow mess something up. I worried that I wouldn't be able to decipher the handwriting. I worried that I would transpose numbers. I worried that I would single-handedly start the zombie apocalypse. (OK, I made that part up. Just wanted to make sure I had the attention of the male young adult crowd.)

Anyway, my worries were in vain. Not to say I haven't messed up, been unsure of the handwriting, or transposed numbers. But I did not single-handedly start a zombie apocalypse, nor did my mistakes have dire consequences. You see, when you index a batch of records, you are not the only one to index that particular batch. If the transcription you type differs from the transcription another person does, that batch goes to an arbitrator. The arbitrators then sort everything out. Also, if you have a particular batch that you really can't figure out, or you don't have time to do, or you just change your mind, you can return that batch for someone else to complete. Easy peasy.

As many mothers have said, “Many hands make
light work.”The more people who
volunteer to index, the sooner the project will be complete.And, to help encourage those of you who might
still be hesitant to sign up, the 1940 Census Project is holding a contest.Click here to read about the contest,
and here to sign up to index.All
you need to do after you sign up is to download the indexing program and
transcribe a practice batch.So, even if
you still are worried about transcribing, you see what it will be like when the
census is actually released.And who
knows, you might win a Visa gift card!

[And, to meet legal disclosure requirements,
you must know that as part of the1940census.com ambassador program this blog
post enters me into a drawing for an Amazon Kindle Fire.]

Thankful thought:Thanks for technology, which helps so much in
family history research!

Get link

Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Email

Other Apps

Get link

Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Email

Other Apps

Comments

Post a Comment

Conversations are so much nicer when more than one person does the talking. :-) Please leave a comment and let me know your thoughts; I'd love to hear from you!

1. I'm thankful for cooperative return policies. Several weeks ago, I mentioned that I had to return a range that I had purchased, and I hoped that the particular range was just a lemon and that the replacement wouldn't have the same problem. Well, unfortunately, it did. On the bright side, the store quickly picked up the second range and refunded my money. I'm putting appliance purchases on the back burner (!) for the moment.

2. I'm thankful for temples. I went one morning this week to the temple. I'm always amazed at how much insight comes in just an hour or two of reflection.

3. I'm thankful for my sister. She and her family came to Utah to spend Thanksgiving with her in-laws, and I got a chance to see her and her family on Wednesday. The last time I saw her was in January at our grandma's 100th birthday celebration. We feel lucky to have two visits in one year!

Me in a Nutshell

In the summer of 2018, after 29 years of raising children, my husband and I (as he puts it) "finally grew up and moved out on our own." I loved those years, but I also love the empty-nest adventure. No matter what your stage of life, I invite you to join me in living life with a thankful heart.